“Steve Vai and Joe Satriani’s setups are amazing examples of streamlined innovation. But with my maple neck Strat, it would be hard to do what they’re doing”: Eric Johnson on G3, profilers, and the custom pedal he “might actually put on the market”

Eric Johnson performs at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California on February 3, 2024 .

In 1996, when Joe Satriani first dreamed up G3 as a breeding ground for the guitar’s latest and greatest, he recruited old friend Steve Vai and fellow shred-era cohort Eric Johnson. From then on, despite their differences in style and demeanor – especially Johnson’s – the trio were forever linked.

That’s why Satriani called Vai and Johnson to reunite the original G3 in 2024. “It was this crazy idea,” Satriani told Guitar World of the original shows. “But it turned into a great success, so why not celebrate it?”